A HIGHLY-addictive prescription-only sleeping pill is too easily available online, experts have warned.

Zopiclone, one of the most common sleeping tablets in Britain, is being sold in bulk and without prescription by unscrupulous internet traders, research reveals.

More than 1,400 illegal online pharmacies have been shut down this year alone but medics fear that unless regulators take tougher action against the illicit trade lives will be lost.

Professor Paul Dargan voiced his concerns after treating a patient who overdosed on 100 tablets of zopiclone bought online without prescription.

In a letter to the British Medical Journal, the toxicology specialist said: “Not only do these websites bypass necessary oversight required for supply, they provide access for vulnerable people who may buy it for self-poisoning, suicide, or misuse.

“Regulatory authorities must take measures to ensure that these websites comply with medicines and other regulations for the supply of this prescription-only drug.”

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Professor Dargan and his colleagues at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Trust in London made their demand for tougher action after carrying out research on the drug’s availability.

Zopiclone is only recommended as a treatment for insomnia at the lowest possible dose and for a maximum of four weeks.

GPs in England dished out 5.7million prescriptions for the drug last year.

The medics’ research showed that the use of so-called “Z drugs” such as zopiclone is on the rise and is increasingly being used by clubbers to “come down” after taking illegal highs.

The drug was made prescription-only “owing to concerns about dependence and potential for misuse,” they said.

But Professor Dargan’s team found numerous websites selling the pill to anyone, with some not even offering proof that the pills were genuine.

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Zopiclone is being sold in bulk and without prescription by unscrupulous internet traders

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37 websites selling zopiclone tablets in quantities of up to 2,000.

We take the illegal sale of medicines online very seriously and regularly take action against people acting in this way

The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency

A quick trawl of the internet revealed 37 websites selling zopiclone tablets in quantities of up to 2,000.

Of those, 35 also sold other Z drugs and 15 offered “bulk purchase discounts.”

“Most (24) provided information/warning about dosage, but 22 clearly stated that no prescription was necessary for purchase, while 14 made no mention of this at all.

“Only one stated that a prescription was needed,” the researchers said.

The experts warned that “people’s increasingly consumerist approach to healthcare” presents new challenges for regulators.

Other Z drugs are zaleplon and zolpidem. All three Z drugs have been linked to an increased risk of dementia.

And previous research has also shown that sleeping pills including zopiclone may increase the risk of death more than four-fold and raised the chance of developing cancer.

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Zopiclone has been linked to an increased risk of dementia.

The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency, which monitors the sale of prescription drugs, said it was aware of the problem and had shut down more than 1,400 illegal websites this year and seized more than 2,400 potentially harmful doses of insomnia medication.

It urged people buying medicines online to only use MHRA-registered traders.

A spokesman said: “Zopiclone is a prescription only medicine and as such can only be supplied with a prescription from an appropriate healthcare provider or through a registered pharmacy outlet.

“Prescription only medicines, including those also scheduled under the Misuse of Drugs Act are, by their very nature, potent and require the oversight of an appropriate medical practitioner.

“We take the illegal sale of medicines online very seriously and regularly take action against people acting in this way.

“In the UK, online suppliers must now be registered with the MHRA and display a European Common Logo on every page of their website. We would encourage people to look out for the logo when buying medicines online and not to use a site that does not display it.”